


take my hand, wreck my plans

by sctheslytherin



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - High School, Anxiety Attacks, Bisexual Flynn (Julie and The Phantoms), Canon Gay Character, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Grief/Mourning, Homelessness, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Lesbian Carrie Wilson, M/M, Pansexual Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Romance, Slow Burn, Sunset Curve (Julie and The Phantoms), Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28897002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sctheslytherin/pseuds/sctheslytherin
Summary: A Julie and The Phantoms High School AU. Summary to come. Title from “willow” by Taylor Swift.
Relationships: Alex Mercer & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters, Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Flynn & Julie Molina, Flynn/Carrie Wilson, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Kayla/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Original Male Character(s)/Original Female Character(s), Past Luke Patterson/Alex Mercer
Comments: 13
Kudos: 120





	1. Catching Up

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is completely for fun. I don’t own Julie and The Phantoms or its characters. Comment some suggestions for what you would like to see in this fic!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke comes back to school for the first time since a major life change. Julie makes plans to see a local band.

“Awesome,” Luke sighed, “This is pretty much me throwing myself at my parents’ doorstep.” Alex frowned. Luke knew exactly what he was going to say. He had been saying it for the past six weeks, since Bobby had first brought up the topic of school. “They probably already know where you are,” the drummer said gently, “And they know it’s best to stay away.” Luke huffed, hoisted his backpack over one shoulder, and headed inside the doors of Los Feliz High School. 

“I mean, dude,” Alex continued once they were inside, “There’s not many places you could’ve gone, and it’s obvious mine or Reggie’s parents wouldn’t let you stay, especially since-” he paused. Luke didn’t ask him to continue. The silence they had lapsed into was subsequently interrupted by the arrival of their other two bandmates. 

“Hey dudes!” Reggie smiled, “Long time no see!”. Luke arched an eyebrow. He had seen him less than five minutes ago, before Reggie had spotted something near the back wall and ran off, almost like a dog chasing a squirrel. 

Luke looked towards Bobby, the question evident in his eyes. “Kayla?” he asked, and Bobby confirmed it with a nod. Reggie grinned. 

Kayla Rogers was class president and the object of Reggie’s infatuation since freshman year, when she had moved to California in the middle of the semester. They had spoken approximately three times since then, until this summer, when Reggie had drunk-texted Kayla a poem he wrote about her, which she somehow found endearing instead of creepy, and they had since commenced a friends-maybe-more relationship that was, frankly, getting out of hand.

Alex coughed into his fist. “Unless you guys want to keep talking about your romantic escapades, which I am not exactly interested in, we should go. We’re going to be late.”

… 

Julie Molina was not what you’d consider a morning person. Over the summer, she had lived in the bliss of being able to sleep in as long as she wanted, without having to worry about making it to an 8 am history class. Now that school had started once again, that feeling of security was gone.

“Good morning bestie!” Flynn all but shrieked once she saw Julie appear around the corner. Julie groaned, “Please never call me that again”. Flynn rolled her eyes “It’s what you are!”. Julie guessed that was a compliment. She shrugged, resigned, and began walking alongside Flynn.

“So,” Flynn began, “How are things since I saw you last?”. “You mean since like 2 days ago?” Julie replied, “Better.” Flynn smiled softly. Julie decided to try and brighten the slightly dark mood. “How are things with Carrie?”. Instantly Flynn’s smile grew brighter. “Things are good!” she exclaimed, “We’re hanging out tomorrow afternoon, and going to Mandy’s.” Julie nodded. That sounded nice. Christ, she was miserably single.

Carrie Wilson was one of the most popular girls in school. She had the beauty, money, influence, and, in her own words, “a lack of attraction to the male gender that enhanced her manipulation powers far beyond the average straight girls’”. Julie wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, but what she did know was that Flynn had been absolutely whipped since about the eighth grade. All of a sudden, Flynn went from being generally indifferent to Carrie’s presence to talking Julie’s ear off every single day about “ditzy, shallow, cruel, gorgeous, lovely Carrie Wilson”. Or something. When Carrie had come out late freshman year, Flynn decided that was her cue to drop the fake-hatred shield, and Carrie eventually took that as her cue to shoot her shot. It had actually been going pretty well so far. 

As Flynn jabbered on about her sorta-kinda girlfriend, Julie listened, happy for her friend, and honestly, slightly glad she didn’t have to have someone she constantly needed to be there for. She could honestly barely take care of herself. My God, her inner thoughts were depressing.

“Hey!” Flynn snapped her fingers in front of her face, causing Julie to blink out of her miny crisis “We’re here.” Julie realized she had been walking on autopilot, and looked around at her surroundings.

Los Feliz stood in front of her, students milling about. She spotted Kayla Rogers by the far wall, chatting with an unfamiliar-looking guy who was wearing a leather jacket, despite the 80 degree heat. Kayla and her were friendly because of the mutual friend they had in Carrie.

Speaking of Carrie, she was standing off to the side of Kayla and the unknown guy, looking slightly awkward. She lit up when she saw Flynn, and rushed towards them.

“Thank God y’all are here,” she breathed, “I was getting tired of listening to them. Only so much awkward flirting I can take before I vomit.” 

“Who’s that?” Asked Julie, gesturing towards said awkward flirting. “That’s Reggie,” Carrie rolled her eyes, “They started hanging out in July and have been disgusting ever since. His friends and I have been driven absolutely nuts.” Julie nodded and looked back towards the wall, and noticed that Reggie had gone back inside the school building, and Kayla was walking towards them. 

“Hey guys!” She smiled brightly. Carrie smirked. “Hey Kay. How’s Reggie doing?” Kayla nodded cheerfully. “Good. Him and his bandmates hung out a lot over the summer. Kind of surprised he’s not sick of them yet.” 

“He’s in a band?” Julie asked. Kayla didn’t seem like the type of person who would be attracted to musicians. 

“Yup,” Kayla hummed. “They’re called Sunset Curve. They do like a punk-pop-rock fusion.” That sounded like it would be Julie’s type of thing. Flynn must have picked up on Julie’s interest, because she asked, addressing Kayla, “Sounds fun! Do they have any gigs anytime soon?”

Kayla nodded excitedly. “Yeah, I think they’re playing at Ronnie’s tomorrow night! I’ll tell Reg you guys are coming.” She checked her wristwatch, her eyes widening. “But I gotta go to class right now. See you guys later!”

After Kayla had rushed off, with Carrie following her, Julie turned to Flynn wearily. “Really, Flynn?” She asked. “I didn’t think they would have a gig this soon. Besides, it would be good for you to just see a show, and it doesn’t even involve playing.” Flynn said apologetically. “I can reschedule with Carrie or we can come with you.” 

Julie smiled at her friend. “Fine. Thanks Flynn. Kayla was right, we should probably get to class.” Flynn nodded, and the two girls turned to head inside the doors of Los Feliz High School.


	2. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke contemplates a friendship. Julie meets two new friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Julie and The Phantoms or its characters. *There will be some swearing in this fic, and it starts in this chapter*

Luke rested his head on his hands, which were sandwiched on top of his desk. He knew this was probably going to cramp his fingers later, but he was really too tired to care. He had been up almost all night stressing about school, like he was a kindergartener again, although this was for a slightly different reason than being worried about missing his parents.

Luke had run away in early June. His latest blowout with his parents was in full swing, and he had decided that enough was enough. If he had regretted his decision later, which he didn’t, he had too much pride to come back. He had tried to stay secretly at Alex’s house, but once his parents found out, another argument commenced. They weren’t exactly fans of their son’s ex staying in their home, especially while they were actively trying to keep Alex away from him in the first place. Alex, bless his heart, had tried to explain that he had nowhere else to go, and eventually he gave them an ultimatum: if Luke goes, I go.

Two bags were dumped outside the Mercer’s front porch the next day.

Both him and Alex knew the Peters’ house was not an option. Reggie’s parents already had 4 kids to take care of, and they weren’t exactly doing a great job of it at the moment. Only one other option remained: Bobby. 

Bobby was probably the odd one out of their group. He was a really cool dude, and he had an insane amount of talent, but Luke could tell that he wasn’t as into it as they were. Bobby had been the last member to join their band, after he had moved to LA from Minneapolis freshman year. Once Bobby joined, the rest of the boys really felt that they had a full band.

In Luke's opinion, part of what made Sunset Curve special was their passion. Their energy. Alex, Luke, and Reggie all saw music as the center of their lives, for better or for worse. But Luke could tell that Bobby, as into music as he was, didn’t really see it as a long term thing. Luke knew that Bobby wasn’t going to stay in the game for much longer. As much as he didn’t want to, Luke had accepted that eventually he was going to have to confront Bobby about his priorities.

At least, until him and Alex needed a place to stay.

Look, Luke knew that using someone for their house was kind of a shitty thing to do, but Bobby was their friend, and it also meant that he could stay in the band for a little longer. Plus, him and Alex were kind of desperate. 

In any case, Bobby welcomed them with relatively open arms. Like Luke said, he was a really cool dude. He didn’t think it would be a good idea to tell his parents, but they were never really around anyway. So all four of them spend their summer days jamming in his garage, and spend their long summer nights trying to get into every club in Hollywood. For the music, of course.

Reggie also sometimes brought along his “friend” Kayla. She sometimes brought along her friend, Carrie, who would sit with the boys and make fun of Reggie and Kayla with them. Carrie was cool.

Everything was going pretty well, until it was time to go back to school. Luke suddenly felt his usual impending sense of dread, this time coupled with the fear that when he got to school, his parents would use this obvious place to find him to grab him and try to lure him back home. He knew this was pretty ridiculous. Like Alex said, they pretty much already knew where he was. 

Except if they didn’t, Luke’s anxiety told him, school would be the perfect place to find him.

So, Luke had been on edge pretty much all day. He didn’t want to go back home. He didn’t want to surround himself with people who didn’t support his passions and goals in life, even if they were family by blood. He had his own family in Alex, Reggie, and, sure, Bobby. That was all he needed.

… 

Julie was glad to be back in dance class. Not only was her best friend in it with her, but dancing fulfilled her ache for music without pushing her limits too much. She was part of a group of people, moving to the rhythm of a good song.

“Alright class!” their teacher announced, “I know a lot of you guys might know each other from previous years, but I think we have a few newcomers, so it would be great if we all went and introduced ourselves.” 

Julie recognized most of the faces around her (Flynn, Kayla, Carrie), but, like their teacher had said, there were some she didn’t know. This included a tall blonde boy who was chatting with Carrie, and a shorter girl who looked a lot like the boy, but was standing off towards the opposite end of the room, talking with a couple girls Carrie called the “Bible Bunch”. 

As they went around the room, the boy introduced himself as Alex, the girl Anya. When Flynn and Julie introduced themselves, Carrie poked Alex in the side, nodding towards them. Alex grinned at her. 

The class was pretty fun, despite it being only the first day. They went over some songs and simple choreography, and it was over before Julie would have liked. After class, Carrie caught up with them in the hallway, dragging Alex along with her. “Guys!” She practically shouted, flinging her arm around Flynn “This is Alex, he’s one of Reggie’s bandmates.” 

Julie turned to Alex, interested. “Sunset Curve?” She asked hoping she was getting the name right. 

Out of literally nowhere, Reggie came around the corner, shouting “Tell your friends!”. Alex groaned. He turned to Flynn and stage whispered, “He does that every single time. One time I was on the phone in my room and-”

As interested as Flynn looked in hearing that story, Reggie did not allow her to. He sidled up next to Alex, looking curious as to who the girls were. “Who are you guys?” He asked.

Julie raised her eyebrows at him. “We’re Carrie’s friends,” She said, “Nice to meet you too.”

“That’s Flynn.” Carrie said, pointing at Julie’s friend awkwardly. Reggie’s grin grew even wider. “Oh. My. God. Can I hug you?” He exclaimed. Flynn nodded, a little unnerved. Reggie threw his arms around her. “I have heard so much about you!”

The implications behind his outburst were clear to Julie, and she grinned while watching Carrie’s cheeks turn pinker than she’d ever seen them before. Reggie let go of Flynn, and turned towards Julie. “And you must be Julie!”

Julie blinked, surprised he knew her name. Carrie, sensing her surprise, rushed to explain: “Like he just said, I’ve mentioned you two.”

“I’m Reggie,” Said Reggie, “And you’re Julie.” Julie nodded. 

Alex rolled his eyes. “Okay, now that these introductions have taken an abnormally long amount of time, Carrie said you guys wanted to come to our gig tomorrow night?”

Flynn nodded enthusiastically “Yeah, you guys sound cool.” Reggie smirked. “We are.” Alex punched him in the shoulder, then nodded at Flynn. “We’ll see you two there. You can meet the rest of our band, Bobby and Luke.”

Julie turned to Carrie, surprised “Bobby, like your cousin Bobby?” Carrie rolled her eyes. “Second cousin. But yeah.” 

Reggie interjected, “It’s really a crazy coincidence! Now when I go over to visit Bobby and-” Now it was Alex’s turn to interrupt. A slap over Reggie’s mouth obscured whatever he was going to say. 

Alex laughed awkwardly as Julie raised an eyebrow. “Anyways, I think it’s time for us to go to class. We’ll see you at the gig! Thanks so much!” he hurriedly said while he pretty much yanked Reggie away from them.

Carrie’s eyes watched them go. She looked almost … concerned? 

“He’s right.” She said, “We’d better get going.”


	3. Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke converses with Reggie. Julie makes her dad proud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Julie And The Phantoms or its characters. *IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT* This will be the last chapter to have 2 POV’s, because from now on, many scenes that Luke and Julie experience will be “shared” if you know what I mean ...

“Take off, last stop, countdown till we blast open the top,  
Face first, full charge, electric hammer to the heart,   
Clocks move forward, but we don’t get older, no!”

“Guys, guys, stop!” Luke set his guitar down.

Reggie froze, in the middle of rocking out. Bobby looked over at Luke, annoyed. Alex peered at him over the top of his drum set, his eyebrow arched. “You good?”

Luke shook his head, blowing his shaggy bangs out of his eyes with short puffs of air. “Yeah, yeah,” he breathed, “Just need to take a break.”

Bobby nodded. “Sure man. Just remember we have a gig tomorrow.” Luke scoffed. Like he would forget.

Alex smiled encouragingly at Luke and nodded towards the door. “You can go take a walk if you need. I kinda want a snack anyway.” Luke thanked him and slipped out the garage door, careful to check if either of Bobby’s parents’ cars were in the driveway. He walked a few feet away from the house, and sat on the curb, his head on his hands. What the hell was wrong with him?

After moping for a minute or too, he felt the presence of someone kneeling beside him. He looked up.

“Can I join you?” Reggie asked. Luke nodded, and patted the spot next to him. “Sure, buddy.”

Reggie sat, brushing off his dark jeans. “So,” He began after a minute of silence, and Luke threw his head back. He really didn’t want to talk about what had happened in there. 

But Reggie didn’t push it. He just sat there with his legs crossed, fiddling with his calloused hands as he looked down at them. 

“You ok?” Luke asked. 

Reggie tilted his head at him, a slight smile on his face. “Shouldn't I be asking you that? You’re the one who just had a temper tantrum in the middle of practice.” Luke rolled his eyes.

“I wouldn’t call it a temper tantrum. I was just … not feeling it.” That much was true. He didn’t really specify what “it” was, and Reggie caught on.

“‘It’ meaning the music? Bro, you’re Luke fucking Patterson. Music is, like, an aphrodisiac to you! What could possibly be wrong?”

Luke smiled in spite of the situation. “Where’d you learn that word, Reg?”

Reggie furrowed his eyebrows, confused. “‘Fuck’?” 

“No, Reggie,” Luke chuckled, “aphrodisiac.”

“Ohh,” Said Reggie, “Kayla said it. I don’t really know what it means.”

Luke’s eyes widened. “I need to know the context. What was the context?”

Reggie shook his head. “You’re trying to distract from this conversation, it’s not working.”

Luke shrugged, smiling. “It was kinda working.” At the look on Reggie’s face, he sombered his expression. “Sorry. What do you want to know?”

“What happened in there?” Reggie asked earnestly, “Was it something we did?” He paused, and looked at Luke worridley “Was it something I did? Was I not playing well enough?”

“‘Course not, Reg,” Luke reassured him before he worked himself up anymore, “It wasn’t you, it was …” He sighed, wondering if he really wanted to bring this up. Fuck it. “It was Bobby.”

Reggie nodded, like he expected him to say this. “What are you thinking?” He asked.

Luke rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’m thinking that if he’s not planning on quitting soon, we need to kick him out.”

Reggie leaned his chin on his hands, his cheeks turning pink from the pressure of his arms on his face. “Why would you think that?” 

Luke exhaled loudly. There was one very good reason.

When Bobby had joined their band, he hadn’t known the boys for very long. He got along well with them, but he didn’t really know the boys like they knew each other. Since they were kids, Alex, Luke, and Reggie had bonded over their passion for music. They dreamed of forming a band that would someday make it big. Music was the force that drove their life. Luke knew it wasn’t like that for Bobby. Sure, he loved music, but it didn’t seem like he really loved it. Luke wondered if Bobby had joined the band under the assumption that it would be a fun after school activity that would fizzle out in a few years. And it would, if Bobby didn’t give it his all. Which he wasn’t. Luke knew he sounded like an asshole, but he needed the band. It was one of the only good things in his life.

He vocalized a summary of these thoughts to Reggie, who nodded thoughtfully.

“Yeah, we shouldn’t be forcing him to stay if he’s not gonna be in it for the long run. It only gets tougher from here, he’s gonna be miserable.”

Luke looked at him incredulously. Reggie always managed to find a logical reinterpretation of Luke’s usually selfish thoughts.

“Dude, when you’d get so wise?” He asked. Reggie punched his shoulder.

“C’mon bro, let’s go back to rehearsal. We’ll ask Alex about this later. He’s the smartest.”

… 

“Dad, I’m home!” Julie yelled, stepping over her brother Carlos’ sneakers, which were laying in the middle of the hallway for some reason.

Her dad emerged from the kitchen, a bowl of cereal in his hand. “You’re back! How was the first day?”

Julie smiled as she sat her bag down on the dining room table. “It was pretty good.”

Her dad smiled, setting down his bowl. “I’m glad. How is everyone?”

Julie was grateful that her dad was involved in her life, but it also meant that she felt like she had to tell him important things. “They’re good. I was wondering if I could go out tomorrow night?”

“Obviously this depends on where you're going.”

Julie looked down at her feet. “Right,” She started, “So, Carrie’s friends have a band, and Flynn wants to go to one of their gigs.”

Her dad grinned. “Tomorrow night! That’s great. I am so, so-”

“Please don’t make a big deal of it.” Julie said, cutting him off. “Flynn is kind of making me go.”

He sighed “I know, mija. I’m just glad you’re going to shows again.”

Julie had gone to shows with her mom almost every other weekend. It was mostly up-and-coming rock bands, exactly like tonight’s gig. Since her mom had passed away, she hadn’t gone to a single show. 

But she didn’t want to get her dad’s hopes up.

“It’s just one show. I’m only really going for Flynn and Carrie, I’ve never even heard their music before.”

Her dad shrugged. “Who knows, maybe you’ll discover some new music. Or you’ll meet some new friends.”

“Maybe.” Said Julie. She doubted it.


	4. It’s Now Or Never

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunset Curve performs a song. Julie meets the other half of the band.

“There you are!” Carrie shrieked, rushing towards Julie and Flynn as they walked inside Ronnie’s Cafe, which was packed. 

Julie turned to Flynn. “I told you we’d be late.”

Flynn had been stressing, excessively in Julie’s opinion, about what to wear. She had finally settled on a high-waisted black leather mini skirt and a red knit crop top. Julie had gone more casual, wearing black leggings and her mom’s red sweater.

Carrie seemed very appreciative of Flynn’s outfit choice, taking a moment to look her up and down before responding, “You’re not. I was just early, the band isn’t playing for another 10 minutes.”

Okay then. “Want me to grab something for us to eat?” She asked, feeling like she needed to leave Carrie and Flynn alone for a second. “Yes, please!” Flynn replied. 

Ronnie’s Cafe, despite its name, wasn’t just a cafe. It was a hotspot for up-and-coming musical acts, as every week there were several nights with discounted food and free entertainment, meaning plenty of audience members to show off your talent to. Julie and her mom used to come here almost every month, sometimes with Flynn, and Julie knew that Flynn enjoyed the nachos they served.

When Julie returned a few minutes later, a large plate of nachos in hand, the lights were dimming and Ronnie, the owner of the cafe, was stepping up to the mic. 

“Hey everyone!” She said, her turquoise earrings clinking, “Thanks for coming to open mic night!”

Julie, Flynn, and Carrie cheered along with the crowd. 

“First up, we have an act that I am very, very, excited for. I honestly can’t believe it’s taken them so long to come to open mic night. Please welcome, the very talented Sunset Curve!”

The crowd went batshit insane, screaming and cheering for the band. Julie had never seen the crowd here so hyped before a performance.

Julie was surprised. She didn’t realize Sunset Curve was so popular in the area. She hoped that ended up matching the level of talent they had. Had everyone here come just for them?

As she was wondering this, the members of Sunset Curve made their way onto the stage and took their place with their respective instruments. Julie recognized Alex behind the drums, and Reggie, holding a bright red bass. She also saw Carrie’s cousin Bobby, who held a guitar. The other guitarist, who Julie assumed was Luke, made his way up to the mic in the center of the stage.

“We’re Sunset Curve, and this is Now Or Never!”

… 

“Take off, last stop, countdown ‘til we blast open the top!  
Face first, full charge, electric hammer to the heart!  
Clocks move forward but we don’t get older, no!”

Julie’s first thought was that she loved their energy. From the very first note they played, Sunset Curve was very clearly in their element. Alex was doing an awesome job on the drums. Julie noticed that he seemed to focus energy into his hands every time he hit a drum, like he was releasing it into the instrument. Reggie could only be described as a big, adorable ball of energy, the way he bounced around the stage as he rocked out. Bobby was a bit more subdued in his playing, but he definitely had a lot of talent.

“Kept on climbing, ‘til our stars collided,  
And all the times we fell behind were just the keys to paradise!”

The lead singer and guitarist was the one who really got Julie’s attention. Luke had an amazing voice, one that was definitely suited for this genre. He put so much energy into his words, that Julie felt he was speaking directly to her. His playing was immaculate, and his stage presence was phenomenal. Julie almost couldn’t take her eyes off him. 

“Don’t look down, cause we’re still rising,  
Up right now, and even if we,   
Hit the ground, we’ll still fly,  
Keep dreaming like we’ll live forever,  
But live it like it’s now or never!”

Once Julie had gotten over her initial shock at their talent, she began appreciating the song itself. It was catchy, but not enough to be annoying. It showcased each band member’s talents enough to make Julie think that if it wasn’t an original, it was a very, very well-selected cover. 

“Here the noise, in my head, it’s calling out like a voice I can’t forget,   
One life, no regrets, catch up got no time to catch my breath,  
Clocks move faster, cause it’s all we’re after now!  
Won’t stop climbing, cause this is our time yeah,  
When all the days felt black and white those were the best shades of my life!”

Ok, Julie needed to collab with whoever wrote this song. Wait, she didn’t write music anymore. Shit.

As she listened to them sing the chorus again, Julie realized how positive the lyrics are, which was kind of a contrast to the band’s sound. The message of the song was surprisingly uplifting, while still being a really good rock song.

“We ain’t searching for tomorrow, (tomorrow),  
Cause we got all we need today, (today)!  
Living on a feeling that’s been running through our veins,  
We’re the revolution that’s been singing in the rain!”

Props to Luke for not being a mic hogger. It was nice to see a lead singer of a band that didn’t force his other bandmates out of the spotlight all time. Plus, Alex and Reggie had really great voices. But what about Bobby?

Carrie saw Julie looking at Bobby and whispered in her ear, “He hates singing.” Ah.

“Don’t look down!”

(Julie couldn’t help it, she clapped along with the band.)

“Cause we’re still rising  
Up, right, now!  
And even if we hit the ground, we’ll still fly,  
Keep dreaming like we’ll live forever,   
But live like it’s now or never!  
It’s now or never, now or never!”

Julie joined Flynn and Carrie in their applause, as Sunset Curve gave their bows. As they dismounted the stage, she noticed Reggie head towards the front row, where Kayla was standing, and pull her in for a kiss. Well that was an interesting, but unsurprising, development.

Bobby, Luke and Alex stood off to the side, accepting congratulations, until Alex spotted Carrie and they began heading towards them.

“Why are they coming over here?” She asked Carrie.

“They don’t really have any other friends.” Carrie told her out of the corner of her mouth, before turning to the boys with a wide smile. “Hey guys!”

“Hi Carrie,” Alex said, giving her a side hug, “Thanks so much for coming.” 

Luke looked kind of confused as to who Julie and Flynn were, until he saw Flynn and Carrie’s hands (which were clasped together, Julie realised excitedly). “Are you Flynn?” He asked.

“Yup,” Said Flynn, holding her free hand out for Luke to shake. “You guys were awesome up there!”

“Thank you,” Said Luke, taking her hand. “Are you a musician too?”

Flynn grinned. “Yes, but I’m more into DJing, producing, that type of stuff. Julie, however-”

“I’m not a musician,” interrupted Julie, earning a glare from Flynn “But I do listen to a lot of bands, and you guys by far are one of the best.”

Luke sent her a half-smile, and Julie wondered for a second if she made a mistake by fueling his ego. But then he thanked her, very earnestly, and stuck his hand out, just as Flynn had done. She went to shake his hand, then realized his hand was curled into a fist, so she went along with it and gave him a fist bump.

Okay then.

“You said your name was Julie?” He asked her, then nodded to her shirt. “Nice sweater.”

Julie nodded. “Thanks,” She said. She debated bringing up that it was her mom’s, then realized it’s kind of a weird thing to say when someone compliments your outfit.

“So,” Alex addressed her, breaking the short lapse of silence, “You say you listen to a lot of bands. What are some of your favorites?”

“Well, I love Rush,” Julie said, nodding towards Luke’s own shirt, which for some reason was cut off at the sleeves. She assumed he ripped it off with his bare hands. “But I also come to places like this just to listen to new bands.” She of course didn’t mention that she hadn’t been to an open mic night in over a year.

They all talked about music and their favorite artists for a bit, stopping occasionally as people came around to congratulate the boys. Julie soon realized that Luke, although he talked with some of the energy he had onstage, was a lot more soft-spoken than she expected, even in a conversation about something he was obviously very passionate about.

Eventually, Reggie came over to them with Kayla’s arm around his waist, and the two greeted Julie, Flynn and Carrie. Kayla nodded towards the stage, “Ronnie said she’s gonna introduce the next band soon. Are you guys staying?”

Julie checked her watch. It was 10 pm. Her curfew for weeknights was 11 pm, giving her a bit of wiggle room. “What’s the next band?”

“Alright, folks!” As if on cue, Ronnie stepped up to the mic. “We got a few more bands left. Next up is the fan favorite, very talented, King Orange!”

Julie turned to Carrie and Flynn to gauge their reaction. King Orange was a great band, but not really her style. She had also seen them perform one to many times, especially since she never listened to them on her own. Carrie and Flynn were looking at the members of Sunset Curve, who seemed ready to leave.

Seeing the girls looking at them, Bobby explained, “We would love to stay, but our curfews are kind of early and we carpool together.”

“What about your instruments?” Julie asked. 

“We bring the bass and guitars with us, and we’ll wake up early tomorrow to pick up Alex’s drums. Ronnie’s cool and she’ll keep them here tonight.” Luke explained.

Julie was impressed. These boys actually seemed like they had their shit together, and they were definitely good enough to maybe make it big someday. She might actually become a fan after tonight.

“Alright,” Flynn said, “Let’s all walk out together, I wanna ask you guys some things about your music.”

The boys looked delighted at this, and they all slipped out the door as King Orange began their song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Julie And The Phantoms or its characters. I don’t own any bands, songs, or lyrics mentioned in this fic, unless otherwise specified.  
> This is the longest chapter I’ve written so far. Also, I realized after writing this that what Julie says to the band is eerily similar to what Rose said, which is sad and cute at the same time. King Orange is completely made up. If you feel bad about them leaving before their performance, imagine that the band members are homophobic. You won’t feel bad anymore.


	5. Wake Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobby has an announcement. Julie makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Julie And The Phantoms or its characters. I don’t own any bands, songs, or lyrics mentioned in this fic, unless otherwise specified.  
> This is two chapters that I combined, which is why it had 2 POV’s.

The cool night air hit Luke’s face as he threw open the door of the cafe. Him, his bandmates, and the girls stepped outside, giggling and talking. 

Well, him and Julie were silent. He supposed she felt like a bit of a third wheel to Carrie and Flynn, and she didn’t really know the guys that well.

From what he had heard about Julie from Carrie, she was a relatively shy, but sweet girl. Carrie obviously wouldn’t have said this about her crush's best friend, but Luke immediately noticed that she was also very, very pretty.

Luke did not do so well around pretty people. Flashback, for example, to the time that he noticed a cute guy at a book club Sunset Curve was playing at, and spent almost the entire set staring at him, even winking once, which Alex told him later looked more creepy than flirtatious, from an outsider’s perspective.

So, obviously, Julie’s first impression of him was a fist bump. 

Was that a good impression? He wasn’t sure. 

Once they had reached the van, Alex, Reggie, and Bobby said goodbye to the girls, and Luke joined them, nodding at Julie, who smiled back. Reggie looked between them, and wiggled his eyebrows when Julie wasn’t looking. Luke flipped him off.  
… 

The ride back was surprisingly quiet. They all knew they had done a great job, but none of them initiated any conversation about their show. 

Eventually, they made it to Bobby’s house. Reggie would probably hang out there for a bit before heading home, like always, and, well, Alex and Luke lived there.

Once they made it inside the garage, Bobby took a seat on the couch. 

“I need to talk to you guys.”

Reggie, Luke and Alex exchanged glances, and sat on the floor opposite from Bobby, setting their instruments down. “Yeah?” Asked Reggie.

Bobby sighed, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’m quitting the band.”

Luke looked up at him, shocked. Bobby scoffed. “Don’t look at me like that. I know you all were thinking of kicking me out anyway.”

Luke, Reggie, and Alex looked at each other again. He wasn’t completely wrong. Before the gig, Luke had pulled Alex aside and filled him in on him and Reggie’s conversation. Alex, after hearing what Reggie’s argument was, agreed with them. They needed to remind Bobby of what staying in the band would mean in the long run, and give him an option to back out. They didn’t really expect him to back out on his own. He was a bit stubborn.

Alex cleared his throat. “We weren’t going to kick you out. We were just worried that-”

“Yeah, I know.” Bobby interrupted, “That I wasn’t prepared for what was coming, and I’m not.”

Huh. Bobby was a lot more perceptive than Luke thought. 

“So,” He began, “I guess Alex and I should pack our stuff?”

Bobby looked at him like he was crazy. “I’m not kicking you out.”

Wait, what?

“Wait, what?” Alex said, echoing his thoughts. “But you’re not in the band anymore!” Bobby laughed. “And you think I would kick you out because I quit? You guys are literally homeless. I’m still your friend, right?”

He made a good point. The way Luke had expected this to go, Bobby would’ve been a bit passive aggressive about them kicking him out, and would’ve subsequently kicked them out. And maybe he deserved it.

“I mean,” Bobby continued, “Eventually my parents will find out about this, and they will probably kick you out.”

Luke nodded. They had talked about that when he and Alex had first moved in. 

Reggie left shortly after, and Bobby said goodnight to them and went upstairs. Luke and Alex turned in for the night, and as Alex was laying on the couch, Luke looked up at him from his air mattress. 

“We’ll be out by the end of the month.” He said. Why risk getting Bobby into more trouble when he wasn’t even in the band anymore?

Alex tilted his head toward him. “We will?” 

“We will.” Luke replied. Then paused. “We just might not have a place to go.”

Alex turned over silently and went to sleep.

… 

Julie woke up 30 minutes before her alarm would’ve gone off, which surprised her. She had been up most of the night, thinking about something she hadn’t thought about in detail for a long, long time: music. She knew it was cliche, but the boys of Sunset Curve really reminded her of one of the reasons she used to write, play, and sing in the first place: she felt like she was born to do it. 

Ever since she was a child, her parents had encouraged her love of music. She wrote her first song with her mom at the age of 4. It was about princesses, and her dad still had it hung on their fridge. She learned piano when she was 6 years old, and had never missed a day of practice since. This was the longest time she’d ever gone without singing a note, since she first began singing along to the radio in the car.

When her mom passed away, it felt wrong continuing to play or do anything music-related without her. Her mom had been her piano teacher, duetter, songwriting partner, bandmate, and muse. Going to the gig with Flynn should’ve felt like a betrayal to her.

And it did, for a bit, until Luke sang the first note of Now Or Never.

Watching those boys reminded her of how she used to look in videos of her recitals or mini concerts. The way they looked completely alive onstage made her feel like that’s what she was missing. Her mom wouldn’t have wanted her to abandon the one thing that made her the most happy. She would want her to use her pain and channel it into her music.

As the sun’s rays began to peek through the curtains covering her window, Julie made a decision. She remembered the last time she had gone into the studio with her mom. She had seen a piece of paper on the piano, which she knew was a song because that’s where her mom always put their songs. She had almost reached for it, but her mom had all but slapped her hand away.

“Don’t look now, mija,” Rose had said, “That’s for later. For when I’m not here with you.”

Julie supposed she could look now.

No one else in the house was awake as Julie made her way to the studio. She was honestly glad, she didn’t really feel like having her dad tell here how proud he was of her until after she succeeded in what she was planning on doing.

Julie entered the studio, and her breath caught in her throat. It was pretty much exactly how she remembered it. She didn’t know why she expected it to be any different. 

She walked to the piano, wondering for a second if the song had maybe somehow disappeared from the studio in the past year. No such luck. She really had to do this.

Julie looked over the song, which was titled “Wake Up”. She smiled, recognizing her mom’s writing style. It was perfect.

Julie revealed the piano’s keys, running her fingers over them. She set the sheet music in front of her, taking a deep breath.

“Here’s the one thing  
I want you to know,  
You got someplace to go,”

As soon as she sang her first note, she felt like she was coming home. Throughout the song, she didn’t feel sad, or guilty like she thought she would. She felt like her mom was with her again.

“Wake up, wake up.”

Earlier than she wanted, it was over. She debated running through it again, but figured belting after not singing after a whole year might start putting strain on her vocals if she put too much pressure on herself. Looking at the sheet music again, she noticed something written in her mom’s handwriting in the corner of the page.

“You can do it Julie, Love Mom.”

When Julie left the garage, a few minutes later, the action of wiping the tears from her eyes prevented her from seeing the boy hiding by the garage door.


	6. Compliments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke is curious about what he heard. Julie is impressed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Julie And The Phantoms or its characters. I don’t own any bands, songs, or lyrics mentioned in this fic, unless otherwise specified.  
> Yes, Luke is a bit shy. It’s adorable.

Okay, look.

Luke definitely did not mean to eavesdrop.

Him and the boys had gotten up early to retrieve Alex’s drum set, and Luke had had the idea to go for a quick walk to pass the time before they had to head to school.

So, at 6:00 in the morning, he was wandering around Bobby’s neighborhood, trying not to be spotted and occasionally scouting out park benches as future homes for him and Alex. 

Then he heard the voice of an angel.

That sounds like an exaggeration, but that’s really what it sounded like to Luke, because - holy shit.

At first, he thought it must have been music playing from a stereo in someone's house, but it sounded too raw. Too natural.

He identified the source of the voice as coming from a nearby garage, and carefully walked over, like a sailor being lured by a siren. 

As entranced as he was, he had enough awareness to know that creeping up to a random person's house to hear a random girl sing was not something he wanted to be caught doing. He obviously meant no harm, but he made sure to stay out of sight. 

As he got closer, he got confirmation that this was a live performance. Whoever was singing managed to convey levels of emotion in their voice that Luke didn’t think was possible to sense without seeing someone’s face. She sang like singing was a nature extension of her voice. For some reason, she sounded familiar, like Luke had heard that speaking voice before. He didn’t recognize the house, so it probably wasn’t someone he knew very well. Maybe it was someone Luke had spoken to in passing. He had definitely never seen her perform before. 

He would’ve remembered that voice. 

When she finished her song, Luke stayed there for a couple minutes, bewitched. He hoped she would play another song, but when she didn’t, he got up to go. Before he could leave his hiding spot, the girl with the voice rushed out, wiping her face. Luke recognized her almost immediately. 

It was Julie, from the night before.

The girl who said she wasn’t a musician.  
… 

Later that morning at school, Luke pulled Carrie aside when her and Kayla walked over to them in front of the school.

“Julie said she wasn’t a musician. Is that actually true?”

Carrie narrowed her eyes. “Why do you care?” 

Luke shrugged. He honestly didn’t know.

Carrie looked him over, unimpressed. “Bobby told me he left the band. You guys need a new member, right?” Luke wasn’t really surprised that she knew about Bobby leaving. However, he hadn’t really thought about the fact that they might need a replacement for Bobby. He was a little bit more focused on the fact that he was about to be homeless. Now that he thought about it, even though Julie didn’t really fit their sound, having her on vocals with him would only elevate them. 

He barely knew her, though.

“This has nothing to do with that.” Luke said. That was true, because it didn’t, not fully. Carrie rolled her eyes.

“Look, I know to you, music is the most important thing in the world,” She began, her voice serious, “But Julie has had a bit of a rough go at it. Don’t push her, or I swear I will ram your guitar down your fucking throat.”

With that, she turned and walked back towards their friends, leaving Luke stunned.

… 

Lunchtime at Los Feliz High School was a social occasion. Most people spent their time in the outdoor lunchroom, chatting with their friends while eating either cafeteria food or a homemade lunch. Luke, Alex, Reggie, and Bobby usually sat at their own table, chatting about band stuff.

As they picked at their lunches (Bobby’s homemade, Reggie’s from the cafeteria, and Luke and Alex’s composed of random food staples Bobby was able to sneak from his fridge), they paid little attention to the people around them, engrossed in their own conversation.

“Thank you guys for being so cool about me leaving the band,” Bobby said, “I know how important it is to you guys.” Luke patted his arm across the table.

“If anything, you guys being important to me made me more okay with your decision,” He reassured him, “I don’t want to force you to stay if you’re not all in.” Alex and Reggie nodded in agreement.

Bobby smiled slightly. For the first time since lunch started, all four boys were silent for a bit.

At least until Luke felt a tap on his shoulder. He saw Reggie’s face light up, and he turned around, seeing that Flynn stood behind him.

For a second, Luke was worried that Carrie had told her what he asked, and Flynn felt that it was her best friend duty to come by and threaten him some more. But Flynn didn’t seem angry.

“Hey guys,” She said, addressing the whole group, “Want to come sit at our table with us and continue our conversation from last night?”

Luke looked at the rest of the guys. Reggie and Alex seemed down for it, probably because, as Luke saw when Flynn gestured to said table, Kayla and Carrie were sitting there too.

So was Julie.

Although Luke felt nervous about being seated with Julie, especially with Carrie there, he flashed Flynn a smile and allowed her to lead him to where they sat. 

Luke took his seat, Reggie and Alex on either side of him. He looked across the table, a pair of warm brown eyes meeting his.

Shit.

“So,” Flynn began. Okay, they were jumping right in. “Tell me more about the song you guys did last night. It was an original, right?”

“Yup,” Reggie said, slightly cockily, “We stopped doing covers like years ago.”

Julie leaned forward, interested. “So did you guys write it together, or do you have a designated songwriter?”

“Well, we sometimes work on melodies together,” explained Alex, “But the lyrics are pretty much all Luke.”

All eyes turned towards him.

“You wrote Now or Never?” Julie asked. Luke gulped. He didn’t really like having people stare at him unless he was performing. “Yeah, why?”

“It’s a really good song,” She smiled, causing Luke’s heart to skip a beat, “You’re really talented.”

He almost scoffed and said “Says you!”, then realized that might not be the smartest idea. Julie obviously wanted to keep her gift secret. He didn’t really understand why, but he respected people’s secrets. He had plenty of his own as well.

Instead, he thanked her and turned to Flynn. “You said you did DJing. Tell me about that?”

As Flynn began talking about weekend classes and exclusive gigs, Luke looked over at Julie again, who was looking down at her food, tapping on the lunch table like she was playing the keys of a piano.


	7. Intuition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie makes a plan and receives an invitation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Julie And The Phantoms or its characters. I don’t own any bands, songs, or lyrics mentioned in this fic, unless otherwise specified.

Julie felt the aftershocks of her impromptu jamming session throughout the rest of the day. She somehow felt the music coursing through her veins, trying to force its way out. She could hardly focus during her classes, and she couldn’t stop drumming her fingers on her desk, like she was tapping out a beat. 

Flynn had been ecstatic when Julie told her about this morning, although Julie made her promise not to tell anyone, not even Carrie. She knew that it was basically a miracle that she played and sang, but she didn’t know if she was going to be able to do it again. Flynn reluctantly agreed, and told Julie how proud she was of her.

On the walk back to their lockers, she joined Luke in walking ahead of the group in an attempt to interrogate him a bit more about Now or Never. Specifically, how he wrote it.

If she was being honest, this was a step further than performing. Songwriting was something even more deeply personal than performing, as it was something that she only did with her mom. But here she was, discussing what was basically a part of her with someone who was pretty much a complete stranger. 

“I don’t know,” Said Luke, scratching the back of his neck, “I guess the lyrics just … happen? Or like flow through me? If that makes sense?”

Julie nodded. Surprisingly, it did. When she would write with her mom, that’s almost exactly the way it felt. 

“Why do you ask?” He questioned, “Are you a songwriter too?”

She shook her head because, technically, she wasn’t anymore. “No,” She paused, deciding to give him some aspect of the truth. She had absolutely no idea why she was basically baring her soul to this random teenage boy, but, for some reason, she trusted him. “My mom used to write music, so I guess I was just curious.”

His eyebrows furrowed at that. “Used to?” She nodded. “Yeah, she passed away last year.” 

Luke’s eyebrows shot up, and he started to say, “So that's why-” before he was interrupted by Flynn, who had begun walking alongside them.

“Hey Jules, sorry to interrupt,” her best friend said, “Did you do Rochester’s homework? I just realized I left it at home.”

Julie nodded, and Luke went to join his friends, giving Julie a quick apologetic wave as he walked away.

… 

That night at dinner, Julie poked the spaghetti around her plate as Carlos entertained them with stories about his school day. When he paused to take a big spoonful of the pasta, Julie’s dad turned toward her.

“Julie,” He said, “I heard you singing this morning.”

Julie almost dropped her fork. Honestly, she should have expected that her dad would be woken by her performance. 

“Yeah,” She responded, “I found a song that Mom wrote me, decided to try it out.”

Carlos, who had been quietly listening, grinned. “Does this mean you’re going back into the music program?” Her dad looked towards her expectantly.

Julie shifted in her seat. Los Feliz had a music program, one of the best ones in the county. Julie had been in it, for voice and piano, but had left when her mom got sick. Her mom disagreed with this decision, but Julie wanted to clear her mind and schedule. She had never reentered. 

She sighed. “I think it’s too late for that. The semester already started.”

Her dad leaned forward onto his hands. “But do you want to be back in?”

Julie thought about it for a second. As much as she had reservations about performing, she had to admit that music helped her feel alive again, and she really did want to feel that way every day. “Yeah.” She responded.

Her dad smiled. “There’s no harm in trying, as long as you’re not taking someone else’s spot.”

Julie agreed. Monday, she would try.  
… 

That night, Julie sat in bed, scrolling absentmindedly on her phone, when she got an incoming FaceTime call with Flynn. She picked up, seeing Flynn’s face fill the screen. 

“Hey!” Said Flynn and another voice.

“Hi- wait, is that Carrie?” Julie asked, laughing. Flynn moved her head and Carrie’s face appeared alongside her.

“Yes, hi!” Said Carrie, “Why, are you jealous?”

Julie snickered. “Trust me, I’m not. What did you guys need?”

Flynn gasped, “We wouldn’t call you just because we needed something! That's really offensive of you to assume!” She leaned her head into Carrie’s shoulder. 

Julie giggled. “So sorry. So why are you calling, then?”

Flynn moved her head so her chin was positioned onto Carrie’s shoulder. “What did we want to tell her, babe?”

“‘Babe’?” Julie inquired, her eyebrows raised. Flynn and Carrie grinned synchronously. 

“Well, that was one thing we were going to tell you,” Carrie laughed nervously, “But that’s not really why we called you.” 

“Well, I’m really happy for you guys, but what the hell were you going to tell me that could possibly be more important than that?”

Flynn laughed “Right … so, Bobby’s having a party tomorrow night!”

Julie raised an eyebrow. “Okay?”

“And we’re all invited!” 

Julie frowned, surprised. “I mean, I get Carrie, but why us?”

“Well,” drawled Carrie, “A logical assumption would be that it’s because I’m Bobby’s second cousin, Flynn’s my girlfriend, and you’re her best friend, but I am anything but logical. I’m intuitive.”

Julie rolled her eyes. “And what does your intuition tell you?”

Carrie grinned. “It tells me that somebody has a little crush and asked Bobby to invite you!”

Julie was even more confused. She knew Reggie was with Kayla, so … “Alex?”

Carrie and Flynn burst out laughing. “Oh honey, no!” Carrie said through tears, “The only person Alex would beg Bobby to invite is that skater boy that almost ran him over, but that’s another story. I’m talking about Luke!”

Huh?

“What makes you think that?” Asked Julie, shocked. 

Flynn and Carrie looked at each other, then her. “Intuition!” Said Carrie, like it should be obvious.

“Whatever,” Julie sighed, “I’ll go if you guys are going.” A good party couldn’t hurt. And okay, maybe she did want to see Luke. So what?

“Awesome!” Said Carrie, “We’ll come over beforehand to make you look hot!” “Not that you don’t already look hot!” Added Flynn.

Julie laughed as she hung up.


	8. Abandonment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex reunites with a family member.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Julie And The Phantoms or its characters. I don’t own any bands, songs, or lyrics mentioned in this fic, unless otherwise specified.  
> Anya and Sandy are OCs.  
> This chapter is sad and a little angsty. Contains references to homophobia and general bad parenting, and references to anxiety and panic attacks.

The four of them were hanging out in the garage when Bobby’s doorbell rang. Bobby, the only one who was actually supposed to be there, and the least lazy, went up to get it. When he returned two minutes later, he hid the unknown visitor behind him and cleared his throat. “Alex.”

Alex’s head shot up in time to see a blonde girl step out from behind Bobby. Luke took a sharp intake of breath, taking in her appearance. Alex stood up quickly.

“Anya?”

Alex’s twin sister stood before them, looking entirely out of place in the ratty garage with her pink floral dress and heels. She lifted her hand up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.

“Hi, Alex.” 

Alex looked bewildered and angry at the same time. ”What the fuck are you doing here?”

Luke thought that was relatively justified. Back in June, when Alex and his parents had been having their “conversation” (In quotes because there was a but too much screaming for it to be fully considered a conversation), Luke had been there to witness Anya, Alex’s twin and his best friend besides the guys, do … absolutely nothing. Now, he knew Alex didn’t expect her to singlehandedly convince their parents to not be assholes anymore, but he knew Alex felt betrayed when she gave him nothing except a forlorn glance out the foyer windows as he walked away.

So, Luke didn’t hold Alex back as he stormed toward his sister, rage in his eyes. Anya brought her free hand in front of her face because, as Luke noticed with a start, she was holding an overstuffed pink duffle bag with the other.

“Alex, wait.” She said, “Before you get mad at me, I need to give you something.”

Luke looked at his other bandmates. “Alex, do you need us to leave you guys alone for a sec?”

Alex shook his head, his eyes still trained on his sister. Luke had never seen him this angry before. “What do you want, Anya?”

Anya pursed her lips and held out the duffel bag she was holding. “To give you this.

Alex raised an eyebrow. “A duffel bag? Thanks a lot, but-” Anya shook her head, her perfectly straightened hair swishing around her shoulders. “No, Alex. Look inside the bag.”

Alex looked at her, confused, and opened the bag. His eyes widened as he pulled out the items inside one by one. A worn copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, a pencil case, a couple of t-shirts, a Lover vinyl, a pair of drumsticks, a keychain, and a pair of sneakers. Alex tore his eyes away from the collection of items and turned to his sister. “What are these?”

Anya chewed on her thumbnail. “They’re your belongings.”

Alex looked at her incredulously. “I know that, Anya. But why are you giving this to me now? And where’s the rest of my things?” 

Anya gazed off to the side, like she couldn't bear to look Alex in the eye. That made Luke suspicious. 

“Anya,” He said, his voice hard, “What the hell happened to the rest of Alex’s things.”

Anya winced, then looked down at the floor. “They got rid of it.”

Reggie piped up from his spot on the couch. “Who’s they?”

But Alex was staring mournfully at the empty duffel bag, like he already knew. “My parents.”

Reggie’s head snapped towards Anya. “Your parents?” She nodded to confirm, sniffling. “They finally decided to get rid of it all. I guess they gave up on you … getting better, and they didn’t tell me until it was almost all gone. I took what I could.” She looked up. “I’m so sorry, Alex.”

Alex swallowed harshly. “And you couldn’t at least talk to them? We both know you’re they’re favorite.”

Anya shook her head. “Alex, I tried, but they’re not exactly happy with me at the moment.

Alex scoffed. “What could you possibly have done?”

Anya scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. “They ... found out I had a boyfriend.”

“Join the club.” Alex said sarcastically, then what Anya had said seemed to catch up with him “Wait, what the fuck?”

Luke was just as surprised. He had known Anya for as long as he had known Alex, and it was almost inconceivable that perfect, celibate Anya Mercer was capable of being romantically involved with the male species. He had to hand it to the Mercer twins for rebelling against their parents like that, though.

Alex did not seem as impressed. Even though Anya was technically older than him, he was protective of her like she was his little sister. Even though he was pissed at her, he still wanted to look out for her. Currently, that meant staring at her open-mouthed as she blushed and avoided his eyes.

Luke kind of felt like he shouldn't be there at the moment, but Alex hadn’t asked them to leave just yet.

Alex’s eyes widened. “Boyfriend?!?” he spluttered. “Who is he? Do I know him?”

Anya nodded slightly. “You all do.”

Reggie leaned forward, interested. “How long have you guys been together?” Alex glared at him, then turned to Anya. “Answer the question.” 

“Four months,” Anya answered, “Since the spring.” “And who is it? You said we know him.”

Anya gulped. “Sandy Peters.”

Luke, Reggie, and Bobby all gasped in unison and turned sharply toward Reggie, who gaped at Anya.

“Sandy … like my brother Sandy Peters?” Reggie asked, genuinely curious. Anya rolled her eyes. “No, Reggie, a different Sandy Peters that you all know.” She said in a sarcastic tone that made her sound exactly like Alex. Bobby leaned back on the wall. He always did love drama. Alex looked between Reggie and Anya, like his brain was still tailing on the back end of the conversation.

“You-” He started, “And my sister-”

“You realize it was his brother, and not him, right?” Anya wrinkled her nose. “Gross.”

“Hey!” Reggie protested, then backed down with Alex’s glare.

Alex took a deep breath. “You,” He said sternly, jabbing his finger at Anya, “And I,” He gestured to himself, “Are going to talk about this later. I need a moment.” He stuffed his belongings into the obnoxiously pink duffle bag and stormed out of the garage.

Anya watched him go, then turned to Luke. “He’ll be okay … right?”

Luke narrowed his eyes. “What do you think? His parents turned his back on him, and one of the people closest to him came back only when it was too late.” Anya looked down, having the decency to look at least a little ashamed. Luke softened his expression slightly.

“If you really make an effort, he might come around.” He reassured her. “But for now, I think he needs some space.”

Anya nodded. She turned to say goodbye to each of the boys that were still in the garage, and left the room.

Luke looked at Reggie and Bobby, who stayed in place, looking grim. 

“I’m gonna go talk to him.” Luke said.

… 

Luke knew Alex would be out in Bobby’s backyard. The fresh air always helped him calm down when he felt anxious or overwhelmed, and he’d taken to going out there if he ever got stressed or panicked during rehearsals or even in the middle of the night.

Sure enough, Alex sat outside on one of the deck chairs, the open duffle bag in his lap. He looked up when Luke sat next to him.

“How you doing?” Luke asked, then realized it was kind of a stupid question. Alex smiled tragically.

“Okay,” He said, “Just having realizations that I probably should have had a while ago.”

“Like what?” Luke asked. Alex sighed, leaning his head onto the headrest of his chair. “I feel like them getting rid of my stuff means that I’m really never coming back.”

Luke refrained from putting his hand on Alex’s shoulder like he wanted to, knowing that physical contact was not something Alex enjoyed during an anxiety attack. “Would you want to go back?”

Alex shook his head. “Not if they stay the same. But … they’re still my parents, you know?”

Luke knew.

“Plus,” Alex continued, “It’s scary, the fact that we’re on our own. We either have to go back to where we don’t want to go, or be completely independent.”

Luke but his lip. “I’m sorry that your parents kicked you out because of me. I don’t know if I ever said that.”

Alex laughed bitterly. “It wasn’t you. They were gonna do it eventually.”

“Hey guys,” Luke heard from behind them, and turned to see Reggie and Bobby standing tentatively nearby. “Alex, you okay?” Reggie asked. Alex smiled thinly. “I’m fine.”

Bobby strode up beside them. “Are you sure? I can cancel tonight’s party if it would be too much.”

“No, please don’t,” Alex said “I’ll be fine, and I wouldn’t want to ruin it for everyone. Plus,” He waggled his eyebrows at Luke, “Luke has his special guest coming.”

Luke glared at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I invited Julie because her and Flynn are best friends. It’s perfectly logical.”

Alex smirked. “I never said her name.” 

Luke’s eyes widened as Reggie laughed.


	9. The Party, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie goes to a party and runs into an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Julie And The Phantoms or its characters. I don’t own any bands, songs, or lyrics mentioned in this fic, unless otherwise specified.  
> This chapter includes mild underage drinking and recreational drug use.

10 minutes before they had to leave for the party, Carrie, Flynn, and Julie were crowded into Julie’s bedroom amidst a sea of outfits Flynn had pulled from the closet. Flynn and Carrie were rifting through said outfits as Julie sat cross-legged on her bed, thoroughly annoyed.

“I told you guys, I was just gonna wear what I usually wear to parties.” She said, gesturing down to her lilac silk top and dark wash jeans.

“Well I told you,” Carrie replied, “Now that I’m a common fixture in your life, I should use my talents to help you!” 

“And you did,” Julie said, exasperated, “You did my makeup and hair!”

Carrie ignored her, continuing her excavation of the mountain of clothes, until she suddenly shrieked with joy. Flynn jumped, startled. Carrie held up her find, which was a yellow sundress. Julie didn’t even remember when or where she had gotten it. Flynn looked over at Carrie, and grinned. 

“That’s perfect!” She said, as Carrie tossed the dress at Julie. 

“Ow, what the hell!” Yelled Julie as the zipper of the dress hit her in the face. Carrie winced. “Sorry,” She said apologetically, then changed her tone as she nodded toward Julie’s bathroom. “Get dressed! We’ve got like five minutes.” Flynn nodded in agreement, then added, “And wear your brown sandals!”

Julie rolled her eyes and trudged off to the bathroom, grabbing said sandals along the way. When she emerged two minutes later, zipping up her dress, she stopped in front of her full-length mirror as Flynn and Carrie squealed.

The dress, which Julie now remembered she had gotten at a thrift shop a year and a half ago and had never worn, looked pretty great. She noticed it was more of an ochre than a yellow, but was decorated with a design of pale yellow flowers. The top was held up with tied straps, and the skirt went to her mid-thigh before flaring into ruffles at the knee. It was … really beautiful.

Seeing Flynn in the mirror, she turned around to see her holding a cropped green army jacket. “It’s gonna be chilly.” She whispered, and Julie thanked her as she slipped the jacket over her shoulders.

“You got your shoes?” Carrie asked. She was already standing by Julie’s door. Julie nodded and they rushed out.

… 

When they walked up to Bobby’s house, the party already seemed to be in full swing. Flynn held her phone up as she yelled over the music, “Text me to check in every 45 minutes. We’ll meet back here at 12:30?” Julie nodded, and they walked inside.

As Carrie and Flynn went off to who-knows-where, Julie decided to go to the kitchen to get something to drink. Spotting a bottle of vodka and some soda, she mixed herself a small amount of a drink in a cup. She made a mental note to not drink more than two cups, since she didn’t personally know a lot of people at the party, and because her dad was probably going to be home when she got back.

Wandering around the party, she realized that most of the kids there were from her school, which made sense. She also saw some people she didn't recognize at all, though they all seemed to be around her age.

“Julie!” She heard someone call from nearby. She turned, seeing Reggie, Kayla, and Bobby piled on the couch. She walked over to them as Bobby lifted his chin in greeting. Reggie offered her the joint they were passing between them, but Julie shook her head and stood back. Her dad would definitely smell that on her.

“Hey Bobby,” She said, “Thanks for inviting me.”

For some reason, Reggie started giggling. Bobby kicked him in the shin. 

“What’s so funny?” Julie asked. Kayla answered, “He’s laughing because Bobby technically didn’t invite you.” At Bobby’s glare, she corrected herself. “I mean, he did, but mostly because Luke asked him to.” 

Julie raised an eyebrow. So Carrie was right, then. Or at least partially right. “Where is Luke?” She asked, “And Alex.” She added, not feeling like getting made fun of. 

Bobby pursed his lips, thinking. “I think Luke went to the garage, and Alex,” He seemed unable to formulate an answer, until Reggie nudged him and pointed to the corner of the room. “Well, Alex is over there.”

Julie turned to see Alex, who was engaged in a pretty heavy makeout session with a guy Julie recognized from her English class. Willie, she thinks his name was. “Ah.” She said, then turned back to Bobby. “How’s the band?” She asked.

Bobby laughed awkwardly. “Actually, I left the band,” He said, then patted Reggie on the shoulder, causing him to almost drop the joint. “But Reggie and the rest of the guys are still in it!”

“Oh!” Said Julie, “Sorry, I didn’t know-” “Nah, it’s fine,” Bobby cut her off, “It’s not like they kicked me out! No hard feelings.” Reggie laughed at Bobby’s statement a little too loudly.

“Okay, then.” Said Julie, “Well I’m gonna go check on Carrie and Flynn. Nice talking to you guys!”

“Bye, Julie. Don’t worry, I think Luke will be out soon!” Reggie stage-whispered. Julie rolled her eyes, then headed off in search of her friends.  
… 

Julie did not end up finding Carrie and Flynn immediately. She did, however, run into someone else she knew.

“Hey, Julie!” She heard someone say behind her. She turned around.

Nick Thomas stood before her, dopey smile on his face. “What’s up?”

Nick was a junior, same as Julie, in the music program. When Julie was also in the music program, he was one of her only friends besides Flynn. He used to come over to her mom’s studio to practice his guitar, and they worked together on almost every group project. Embarrassingly, she had a tiny crush on him freshman year, but she was pretty sure that he liked Carrie at the time. Not that that was ever going to go anywhere. When Julie left the music program, they fell out of touch.

“Nick, hey!” Julie greeted him, a smile breaking out on her face as Nick sidled up beside her, “How’ve you been?” 

“I’ve been good,” He responded, “I miss having you in music. It’s just not the same, you know?”

Julie’s smile dropped from her face. “Yeah well,” She paused, then remembered she had good news to share. “Actually, I’m thinking of rejoining!” Nick’s smile grew wider. “That’s awesome!”

“Yeah,” Julie nodded, “I hope there’s still spots left, you know?” 

“Yeah, totally,” Nick hummed thoughtfully, “I’m sure Ms. Harrison could squeeze you in. She knows how good you are,” He looked her in the eye, “We all know how good you are.”

Suddenly, her palms felt very sweaty. Not because she still liked Nick. Ew, honestly. Mostly because of the way he complimented her. She knew it was stupid, but it reminded her of the way her mom would praise her after she hit a high note or played a particularly complicated piece on piano. She had no idea why Nick hyping her up would give her that same feeling, but he did. It made her feel weird.

“Thanks,” She said awkwardly, “Great talk. I gotta go, though. See you later?”

“Yeah, sure!” Nick said, oblivious to her mental state. “Nice seeing you, Julie!”

Julie slipped away, and ducked behind the nearest door to collect herself. She wasn’t completely aware of her surroundings until a voice shocked her into reality.

“Julie?”


	10. The Party, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke accidentally reveals some things, and gains a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Julie And The Phantoms or its characters. I don’t own any bands, musical artists, songs, or lyrics mentioned in this fic, unless otherwise specified.  
> Small Note: This fic is taking place in what would be 2020 if you-know-what never happened. Ignore the butterfly effect and whatnot.

Luke usually liked parties, but not when he had other, more important things on his mind. He needed a break, and the garage was a perfect hideout. 

At least it would've been, if he had remembered to lock the door. 

He was flopped down onto his air mattress, looking through his songbook, when he heard the door to the garage slam. He looked up, and was met with the sight of a girl in a yellow dress with her back to him, breathing heavily. He recognized her after a second.

“Julie?” He asked cautiously. She turned around sharply. “You okay? 

She looked around, as if she was noticing her surroundings for the first time. “Sorry!” She said, “I thought this was a bathroom or something, I’ll go.”

“It’s fine.” He reassured her. “You’re not gonna vomit, are you?” He asked, noting the empty cup in her hand. 

She shook her head. “No, of course not. I just,” She sunk onto the couch. “I need a minute.”

Luke nodded. “Of course. Do you need me to go?” 

Julie shook her head.“It’s okay,” She said, then looked around, noticing the air mattress he sat on, his backpack in the corner of the room, and his textbooks piled on the floor. “You’re staying here for the weekend, right?” 

Luke pursed his lips. “Um, yeah. I actually live across town.”

“And you guys practice here?” She asked, gesturing toward Alex’s drum kit and Luke’s guitar on the opposite wall. Luke nodded again.

“So,” He tried to change the subject, “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Julie looked hesitant to answer.

“I mean, you don’t have to tell me,” He rushed out. Then a horrible thought struck him. “Did somebody do something? I know how these parties can get-”

“No, no,” She reassured him. “It’s fine, nobody did anything.” She paused. “You would consider me a friend, right?”

Well, that was a weird question. “Um yeah, I guess,” Luke answered after a second. “I mean, I met you like two days ago, but yeah.”

“Okay,” She breathed. “Can I tell you a secret?” 

Luke nodded.

“I lied.” She said simply. “When we first met, I said I didn’t do music. I lied.”

Luke cocked his head. “Why did you lie?”

She sighed. “Well, my mom and I played together, and after she died, I couldn’t really-” “You couldn’t play piano without her.” He finished, before he could stop himself.

Her eyes narrowed. “How did you know I played piano?”

Shit.

“Um,” He searched for an excuse, then decided that honesty was probably the best policy. “I heard you. Yesterday.”

She recoiled. “Dude. Boundaries! That’s so creepy!”

He lowered his head, unsure of what to say. She wasn’t wrong.

“I’m not sure if it helps, but I heard you totally by accident. I was just on a walk in the neighborhood.”

It didn’t really seem to help.

She stood up quickly and Luke thought she might storm out, but instead she began pacing around the room, quite angrily. She was emitting serious Alex energy, Luke noticed.

Suddenly, she stopped. “Wait,” She said, seeming a little less angry, and more confused. “You said you lived across town. Why were you anywhere near my house?”

“Oh,” That was a good point. “Um, I was also staying at Bobby’s house that day.”

She turned to him sharply. “Luke.” She said sternly. “Exactly how long have you been staying with Bobby?”

Should he be honest? He should probably be honest.

“Um, almost two months?” 

She stood in place, looking at him with her mouth wide open. He scoffed. “Don’t look at me like that.”

She closed her mouth, and brought her hand to her face to rub the space between her eyes. Luke suspected she maybe wasn’t sober enough for this.

“Okay, I’ll tell you what.” She said after a moment. “I won’t ask any questions tonight, as long as you don’t ask me any questions. Deal?”

“Deal.” Luke agreed.

She opened her eyes suddenly, which had been squeezed shut in exasperation. “But, you’re safe right? You’re not in danger?”

Luke shook his head. “No danger.”

Looking somewhat satisfied with Luke’s answer, she strode over to him and sat cross-legged on the floor next to his air mattress. “Can I just … stay here for a few minutes?” She asked, and Luke nodded.

… 

They ended up staying in the garage for the rest of the party. They talked about almost everything relating to the subject of music, apart from personal details about things they agreed not to encroach upon. They bonded over their shared love of rock and alternative music, and discovered that they both held a special place in their hearts for Taylor Swift. They spoke about classes they liked and teachers they hated, and barely noticed the time passing until Reggie all but kicked down the door to the garage a little after midnight. 

The bassist barged in, accompanied by Kayla and Flynn. 

“There you are!” The latter girl said, exasperated. “You didn’t text to check in. We have that system for a reason!”

“Shit, I’m sorry!” Julie said, grabbing her phone from her pocket. “I wasn’t in the actual party, and it didn’t cross my mind.”

Flynn sighed, like she was used to having to own the role of the responsible one. She looked Luke up and down, as if noticing him for the first time.

“Luke,” She addressed him. “Good to see you again.”

Luke gulped. Flynn’s look made him feel kind of nervous for some reason. “You too!” He managed to squeak.

Flynn stared at him for a few more seconds until Reggie decided to diffuse to tension. “Hi Julie!” He greeted her.

Julie smiled. “Hi Reggie.” She stood up, brushing off her dress and turning to Luke. “Well, I better get going. We’ll talk later, stalker.” She said, grabbing Flynn’s arm.

Luke tried to calm his pounding heart at the small smile she gave him before she walked out the garage door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you can’t tell from the title of this fic, I am a huge swiftie, so Taylor will definitely be mentioned several times throughout this fic.


	11. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie has an eventful morning, and finds out a few things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Julie And The Phantoms or its characters. I don’t own any bands, musical artists, songs, or lyrics mentioned in this fic, unless otherwise specified.  
> It’s me! I know it’s been a while, I have had MAJOR writers block.

One of the things Julie liked the most about not drinking a lot is the feeling of waking up the morning after a party without a hangover. Poor Carrie, who had slept over at Julie’s house along with Flynn, was not as lucky. As Flynn and Julie bustled around Julie’s kitchen, making coffee and chatting, Carrie lay on the couch in the living room, a cool cloth on her forehead. She reluctantly agreed to go to Mandy’s Diner with them, but not until she’d had about four cups of espresso. 

Mandy’s Diner was a local establishment, one that Julie and Flynn had been going to together for almost ten years. It was a little run-down, but it served the best french fries.

As soon as Julie threw open the doors to the diner, she could hear a large amount of noise coming from a booth near the corner of the restaurant. Too much noise for a Sunday morning. She turned to Flynn to make a comment, then noticed her friend was waving towards said booth in greeting. She looked over just as one of the occupants whooped as a response to Flynn’s wave.

Reggie, Bobby, Luke and Alex sat squashed into the large booth. They were accompanied by Kayla and Willie, the boy Alex was with the night before. Julie could tell immediately who had been drinking the night before. Bobby, Alex, Willie, and Kayla were all nursing individual cups of coffee while looking extremely annoyed at the antics of Reggie and Luke, who were making the majority of the noise that was coming from the table.

Reggie, who had been the one who whooped, beckoned them over to the booth. The three girls trudged over, giving their greetings.

“Sit with us!” Reggie insisted. The girls somehow managed to squish into the booth, with Julie sitting next to Bobby on one side, and Flynn and Carrie next to Willie on the other. Julie exchanged a quick nod of greeting with Luke, who sat diagonally across from her, and he smiled back.

“So,” Reggie began. It seemed he was usually the one to initiate conversations. “You guys have fun last night? I only saw you guys for like five minutes.”

Julie, Flynn and Carrie all nodded in unison. “I actually didn’t see these two for the whole night,” Julie said, gesturing toward Flynn and Carrie. “But yeah, great party.” Reggie grinned. “Awesome.”

The table lapsed into silence as the group studied their menus. Julie wasn’t really that hungry, but she decided to order some toast. Once all of them had ordered, they fell into casual conversation.

“So,” Julie asked, “What did you guys do after the party?”

“Well,” Reggie answered, “We hung out for a bit, then I went home, but Alex and Luke stayed over at Bobby’s house and we met up here.”

Julie turned her head sharply to look at Luke. She obviously already knew that Luke had slept over, but not Alex. If Luke had been living there, did that also mean Alex was too? Why the hell were two teenage boys living at their friend’s house instead of their parents? Luke saw the question in her eyes and mouthed, “Later.”

Once their food came, their conversation was once again abandoned as they began eating their breakfast. Flynn, who was picking at her food looking slightly nauseous, looked over at Willie, who was absolutely devouring his pancakes. “I don’t know how you have such an appetite when hungover,” She remarked. Willie grinned. “I really like pancakes.”

… 

The meal went relatively quickly. They all walked back together, as they were all either going to Julie or Bobby’s house. Julie noticed Luke trailing slightly behind the group, and went back to join him.

“I know it’s not really my business,” She began, “But is Alex staying at Bobby’s too?” She paused. “I’m sorry for overstepping, I just-” Luke interrupted her by shaking his head. “No, It’s okay.” He cleared his throat. “Yeah, Alex and I are both staying with Bobby.” Seeing her look, he added, “We’re fine, though. We just … ” He trailed off.

Julie reached over and patted his shoulder. “It’s okay. I don't need to know any more, just that you guys are okay.” Luke looked up at her gratefully. “Thanks, Julie.”

“Of course,” Julie replied. “What are friends for?” Luke gave a half smile.

“So,” he began, “How’s the piano been?”

Julie winced. She had sort of forgotten about Luke’s creepy little escapade, and it was slightly jarring to be reminded of it so suddenly. “Well,” She responded, “It’s been okay. I’ve been wanting to play again, but … It’s been hard to find other songs.

This was true. When Julie had given up music, she had given away all her favorite songbooks, which of course she regretted now. 

Luke scratched his chin. “I might have a song. If you want it, of course.” Julie looked over at him. “Really? Is it one you wrote?”

Luke nodded. “It’s one we were going to record, but it didn’t really fit.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. He unfolded it, and Julie saw the header of the song, which read “Bright”.

She raised her eyebrow. “You just keep that in your pocket?” 

Luke grinned sheepishly. “I was kind of hoping to rework it to fit Sunset Curve more, but it’s probably a lost cause. I like it the way it is.” 

Julie looked down at the piece of paper, which Luke was holding out for her. “And you’re okay with me using this?” Luke gave another half smile. “Of course, Jules. You probably need it more than I do.”

It was only after Luke had ducked into Bobby’s garage that Julie realised he had called her Jules, a nickname usually reserved for her close friends. She wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed or amused.  
… 

That night, as Julie lay in bed, she thought about the fact that Luke and Alex were living in their friend’s house instead of with their parents. From the interactions Julie had had with them so far, they seemed like actual good people. Julie didn’t know the reason those boys were displaced, but she hoped that sometime soon, someone could help them. It was only fair.


End file.
